Massive shale oil reserves could give California one of the biggest oil booms on Earth, but the uber-powerful California green lobby is gearing up for the fight of its life. The stakes of the battle could be huge. Hundreds of thousands of high-paying jobs for Californians, versus environmental concerns about fracking, pipelines, and greenhouse gasses. The intrigues in this drama are many. Will black gold bail out big blue California? Bring lots of popcorn. This is going to be a terrific show. --Walter Russell Mead, Via Meadia, 4 February 2013